Hodinkee
The Art Of Complexity, Episode 2: Inside The Ateliers Of Audemars Piguet
In the second installment of our three-part series in partnership with Audemars Piguet, we visit the workshops of the Le Brassus manufacture.
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SJX Watches
Hands On: Zenith G.F.J., Calibre 135 Revived
Zenith has finally started to look beyond the El Primero with the G.F.J., which features a new version of the storied chronometer cal. 135. Conceived to mark the brand’s 160th anniversary, the G.F.J. moniker is a reference to the brand’s founder, Georges Favre-Jacot, whose initials grace the facade at the manufacture in Le Locle. This new model marks the return of the famous movement phased out about 60 years ago. But production has officially restarted, and the new cal. 135 features modern upgrades that differentiate it from the vintage original used in the Calibre 135 Observatoire introduced in 2022. The “new old stock” cal. 135 that Zenith dusted off for the 2022 edition. Image – Zenith The movement returns to market in a 160-piece limited edition in platinum and features an elaborate blue dial that that is made from lapis lazuli and mother of pearl. For about double the price, owners can request a full platinum bracelet, which endows the watch with impressive heft. Initial thoughts I’ve always liked the cal. 135 and wished Zenith would bring it back. That said, I was not convinced by the first stock images I saw of the G.F.J. I felt like the dial was overwrought, and the basketweave pattern on the movement was distracting. Having spent some time with the watch, I would soften my criticism of the dial as it’s more subtle on the wrist and up close the details are finely done. Moreover, subsequent non-anniversary versions will likely have these details toned...
Monochrome
First Look - Vacheron Constantin Unveils the New Traditionnelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar
Vacheron Constantin celebrates its grand 270th anniversary this year. For a brand with such an illustrious and storied past, an anniversary of this calibre means rolling out the big guns. To commemorate the date, Vacheron Constantin unveils a new high-end manufacture calibre combining a tourbillon and a perpetual calendar. Limited to 127 pieces and presented […]
Monochrome
First Look - An Upgraded Movement and Design for the Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar
Released in 2016 with a price tag of EUR 8,000, Frederique Constant’s Perpetual Calendar Manufacture was one of the most affordable QPs on the market. Powered by FC’s in-house calibre FC-775, the perpetual calendar appeared in the Slimline family and the sportier Highlife collection. For Watches & Wonders 2025, the perpetual calendar returns in a […]
Monochrome
First Look - The Incredibly Light Ulysse Nardin Diver (Air)
Switzerland might be landlocked, but Ulysse Nardin, a young watchmaker from Le Locle, consolidated his reputation by producing precision marine chronometers. By the 1870s, the manufacture supplied more than 50 navies and merchant marine companies with chronometers to calculate longitude at sea. These days, Ulysse Nardin plays on its marine heritage with its classical Marine […]
Monochrome
First Look - Chopard Celebrates 25 Years of the Quattro with a Refreshed & Compact L.U.C Quattro
The ultra-thin, 3.7mm Calibre 98.01-L, certified by both the Poinçon de Genève and COSC, was the second developed by the Chopard manufacture and followed the groundbreaking Calibre L.U.C 96.01-L, which was created in collaboration with Michel Parmigiani and laid the foundation for future movement development. The manually wound 98.01-L featured Chopard’s so-called Quattro technology: a […]
Monochrome
First Look - The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle and Patrimony 270th-Anniversary Collection
Select members of Vacheron Constantin’s Traditionnelle and Patrimony families have been invited to join in the 270th-anniversary celebrations. Eight references from both families have been singled out for the special treatment and flaunt dials decorated with a unique motif created for the 270th anniversary of the brand. As important as the dial, the manufacture calibres […]
Monochrome
First Look - The new Armin Strom One Week Skeleton Titanium (Incl. Video)
The One Week is, together with the impressively complex and innovative Resonance concept, one of the most important watches by the Biel-based independent watchmaker. Indeed, it was the first watch to come from Armin Strom after Serge Michel and Claude Greisler took the reins of the company in 2010. It launched the brand’s first manufacture […]
Monochrome
Introducing - The New Tudor Pelagos Ultra 1,000m
The Tudor Pelagos was released 13 years ago, under the reference 25500TN. A highly capable diver made of titanium, it was the brand’s answer to the Sea-Dweller, a true tool for diving, with a proper instrument-like design. This 500m dive watch has evolved over the years, receiving a manufacture movement and a blue dial in […]
Worn & Wound
Frederique Constant Introduces a Revamped Classic Perpetual Calendar
Frederique Constant proved that a perpetual calendar watch could be priced within reach of the general market with the release of their original Classic Perpetual Manufacture back in 2016. Nine years later, the Geneva-based brand’s redesigned and refined new Classic Perpetual looks to continue that tradition. Housed in a steel 40mm case that sports slimmer lugs and softer angles than previous models, the new Classic promises elegance and functionality in equal measure. The salmon “sunray” dial and silver diamond-cut indexes ooze cocktail party elegance, but keep the color scheme in check in order to draw full and worthy attention to the complications: a date counter at 3 o’clock, moonphase at 6, weekday counter at 9, and month and leap year counter at 12, all of which are stepped to add dimension to the dial. A discreet sector dial minute track runs the perimeter for a touch of vintage flair, while the Frederique Constant signature sits below the moonphase window at the 6 position. None of these features will be a surprise for seasoned calendar collectors, of course, but the combination of the salmon dial, silver dauphine hands and indexes, and subtly reshaped Classic case will draw appreciation from those in the market for a dress watch that punches above its price point. The included dark brown alligator leather strap adds another point of class to the Classic, as does the onion-style crown-this is a watch to be worn while toasting a great achievement in the ...
SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Marks 270 Years with Most-Complicated-Wristwatch-Ever
This year is quite the anniversary for Vacheron Constantin, with the brand turning 270 years old. To mark the occasion appropriately, the Geneva-based manufacture created the mighty Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication – La Première, the culmination of eight years of development. Now the most complicated wristwatch ever, this unique wristwatch boasts 41 complications on two faces, encompassing five rare functions as well as a world first – a celestial object tracker. All of that is contained in a surprisingly compact, but still large, case. (A detailed list of the complications is available in the addendum below.) Initial thoughts Timepieces of such complexity reach beyond the realm of horology and can be regarded as engineering marvels. In a sense the Solaria is not unexpected since VC has a long history of making ultra-complications – “The Berkley” pocket watch was just unveiled a year ago – but the Solaria is one of the most fascinating watches in recent memory. The numbers behind the Solaria are impressive. Beyond the 41 functions, the watch is powered by the cal. 3655 that’s made up of 1521 pieces and the subject of 13 patents. The watch took eight years to develop and construct, which is impressive for a single timepiece. Surely VC will trickle down some of the developments related to cal. 3655 and install them in simpler timepieces, but condensing 41 complications into a wristwatch no thicker than 15 mm is an engineering feat that cannot b...
SJX Watches
Interview: Ilaria Resta, Chief Executive of Audemars Piguet
The chief executive of Audemars Piguet for just over a year now, Ilaria Resta leads the storied brand into its 150th year. In her short time at the helm, she has already overseen the opening of the expansive, vertically integrated Arc manufacture in Le Brassus as well as the first instalment of the brand’s anniversary celebrations. Prior to AP, she spent over 25 years in fast-moving consumer goods, first at Proctor & Gamble and then at Swiss fragrance and flavour specialist Firmenich, making her one of the rare outsiders at the top of Swiss watchmaking, a traditionally insular industry. We recently spoke to Ms Resta about balancing tradition and technology, collaborations, and why there will never be a Royal Oak Star Wheel. Along the way, she dropped a few tantalising hints as to what’s in store for the future, Ms Resta (right) at the recent opening of AP House Singapore, with member of the brand’s board of directors, Oliverio Bottinelli. Image – Audemars Piguet This interview was edited for clarity and length. SJX: Audemars Piguet is in Le Brassus, a town that’s in the historical heart of watchmaking. It’s the only brand of watchmaking’s “Holy Trinity” that’s not in Geneva. How do you think that makes AP special? Ilaria Resta (IR): First of all, we are there because we were born there. We decided not to move, and we will never move from our birthplace. It is a choice of being true to our legacy and to stay close to the manufacturing. For me, it’s ext...
SJX Watches
Introducing the SJX Podcast
We are pleased to announce the launch of the SJX Podcast, which is now an official part of our programming. The podcast will be regular and topical (though the very first instalment was an ad hoc collector conversation). In the official inaugural episode, editor Brandon Moore and SJX talk about the state of the industry and Swiss watch export figures, the developments at LVMH watches, including Louis Vuitton’s investment in a state-of-the-art manufacture and Zenith’s evolution into a watchmaker’s watchmaker. They also look ahead to Watches & Wonders 2025, and discuss what’s on the cards for brands big and small. The podcast is now live on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Addition March 8, 2025: YouTube link added.
Fratello
Yema Introduces Its Superman Swiss Edition To Mark A Strategic Turnaround
We know Yema as an accessible French brand that offers fairly affordable watches. However, with the introduction of the company’s in-house Calibre Manufacture Morteau movements, its prices shifted upward a bit. To ensure that the watchmakers have enough time to work on the higher-end in-house movements and still offer watches at a more affordable price […] Visit Yema Introduces Its Superman Swiss Edition To Mark A Strategic Turnaround to read the full article.
Fratello
Introducing: The BA111OD Chapter 7 Certified Chronometer
Since 2019, BA111OD has offered edgy, affordable Swiss timepieces. The brand from Neuchatel offers a tourbillon, manufacture complications, and several avant-garde mechanical watches. The models even have chapter names, and today’s piece, the Chapter 7, is the first to receive a chronometer certification. With rising prices from many traditional “high street” brands, smaller independent watch […] Visit Introducing: The BA111OD Chapter 7 Certified Chronometer to read the full article.
Monochrome
First Look - An Anthracite Dial for the Norqain Freedom 60 GMT Bronze
In just seven years, Norqain has consolidated its position as a producer of sporty, robust, adventure-inspired watches. Following its partnership with movement manufacture Kenissi in 2020, one of the first models to benefit from the deal was its traveller’s GMT model, the Freedom 60 GMT. Appearing with blue, green and brown dials, the latest bronze […]
Monochrome
Introducing - The Chronoswiss Delphis Firestarter, with a World-First Material
Chronoswiss, founded by Gerd R. Lang in 1983, gained a reputation for its classical regulator-style displays and was one of the first brands to manufacture this distinctive dial arrangement in a wristwatch. In the hands of the Ebstein family since 2012, Chronoswiss has maintained the regulator and other traditional displays but injected new life into […]
Quill & Pad
RIP Mr. Armin Strom: A Master of Skeletonization
With great sadness, the independent Swiss watch manufacture Armin Strom announces the death of its founder, Mr. Armin Strom at the age of 86.
Monochrome
Introducing - Hearing is Believing with the Unique Parmigiani Fleurier L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse
Once upon a time, antique timepiece restorer and master watchmaker Michel Parmigiani was encouraged by the Sandoz family to create a manufacture. Known as Parmigiani Fleurier, the fully independent manufacture produced exquisite high-end watches, over thirty in-house movements and fascinating table clocks equipped with automata. With the arrival of CEO Guido Terreni in 2021, the […]
SJX Watches
Business News: Laurent Perves Appointed CEO of Vacheron Constantin
As Vacheron Constantin gears up to mark its 270th anniversary in 2025, the brand has just announced Laurent Perves will assume the top job at the start of the new year. Having been the Chief Commercial Officer since 2022, Mr Perves succeeds Louis Ferla, who is now in charge of Cartier. Mr Perves is well positioned to lead the storied Geneva brand into its next chapter, having held management roles in the key departments of the manufacture, namely marketing, communications, and commercial. Although he began his career in fragrances, where he rose to senior roles in Proctor & Gamble, Mr Perves started in the watch industry a decade ago. He joined Audemars Piguet in 2014 as head of communications, before being tapped to become the chief marketing officer at Vacheron Constantin in 2016. Since 2022 he was the number two at Vacheron Constantin as chief commercial officer, where he oversaw the brand’s commercial strategy but also built relationships with key clients and collectors in general. Despite the high bar set by the Berkley pocket watch – the most complicated watch ever – Mr Perves and his team have put together an impressive lineup of products for the brand’s 270th anniversary, which will be debuted progressively over the next year.
Monochrome
Industry News - Opening of Applications for the Second Edition of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives
In late 2022, luxury powerhouse Louis Vuitton announced a rather surprising but promising concept, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. A biennial prize organized by its Swiss-based watch manufacture, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, its mission is “to recognize a passion for watchmaking savoir-faire, creativity, and innovation in the pursuit of excellence, […]
Deployant
The secrets of the new Yema Watch Manufacturing Facility
We had the opportunity to visit Yema's manufacturing facility in Morteau France. Here's us bringing you for an in-depth look into a French watch manufacture
Monochrome
Video - A Closer Look at the Edgy Zenith Defy Revival A3648, Rekindling that 1969 ‘Everything is Possible’ Spirit
The year 1969 proved to be pivotal for Zenith. The manufacture introduced the El Primero automatic chronograph, which would become one of the most influential movements ever made. Besides that monumental feat, it also launched the formidable Defy collection that year. This sporty series of watches had an unprecedented design, with an octagonal case topped […]
Monochrome
First Look - The New Tutima Mara Safari Chronograph
Tutima, founded in 1927 in Glashütte, earned its wings with its famous 1941 Flieger flyback chronograph. Following the destruction of its manufacture and eventual relocation to the West, in 1984, it resumed its flight path with chronograph ref. 798, the official pilot’s watch for the German Air Force and NATO. Returning to Glashütte in 2011, […]
Quill & Pad
Ball Watch Roadmaster M Model A: Innovative Alarm, GMT, and Lights Up Bright at Night
Ball Watch have stepped up their game with an innovative mechanical alarm watch with second time zone and a manufacture automatic movement plus their trademark super bright tritium tubes that light up the night. This is no chirping cricket!
Monochrome
Introducing - The Norqain Independence Skeleton 42mm, now in Grey
Norqain’s Independence family is home to many of the brand’s most coveted models, including the recently released Independence Skeleton Chrono with a proprietary manufacture calibre developed with GMT. The Independence is also home to the robust carbon fibre Wild One, conceived with Jean-Claude Biver, as well as the brand’s first skeletonised model introduced in 2021. […]
Worn & Wound
The Bell & Ross BR-X5 Gets the Iridescent Treatment
Bell & Ross is expanding on their enthusiast focused BR-X5 with a boutique edition iridescent dial variant, housing their manufacture calibre BR-CAL.323. For those that aren’t already familiar with the BR-X5 launched in 2022, this is a relatively higher tier regular production watch compared to the rest of the Bell & Ross lineup – featuring a semi-skeletonized weight minimizing case that has been hollowed out on the sides, from the lugs and down through the crown guards. While the main features and aesthetic design of the watch have remained relatively untouched from the previous variants, the iridescent dial is the star of the show on this new reference, creating playful hue transitions from blue to green, with hints of purple. The color shifting is very similar to that seen on the shell of a beetle, or on mother of pearl dials, but in this instance the light effect isn’t naturally created, rather it’s a chemical creation derived from multiple thin layers of PVD coating. Not only does the dial have a one of a kind manufacturing process, but the effect has been accentuated by overlaying it with a sunray effect. The overall vibe of what used to be a more serious, tool-like watch, is now toned down a touch to bring in some casual playfulness. The BR-CAL.323 automatic movement beats at 28,800 VPH, and is holding a generous 70 hours of power reserve which makes the watch a great daily wear contender. The movement has also been designed to display a rather large pow...
SJX Watches
Exhibition: 30 Years of the Lange 1 in Singapore
A. Lange & Söhne is marking the 30th anniversary of arguably its most famous wristwatch with an exhibition in Singapore. 30 Years of the Lange 1 will take place in ION Orchard October 24-29, 2024. Besides showcasing significant Lange 1 models, the exhibition also encompasses demonstrations by a master engraver from the Lange manufacture in Glashütte. The event is open to the public but registration is required. A cornerstone of the German brand since it was revived in 1994, the Lange 1 is defined by an orderly, yet asymmetrical dial with an outsized date and power reserve. The design instantly distinguished itself from practically everything else on the market at the time and became the “face” of the Lange 1. The exhibition will present the many variations of the Lange 1 introduced over the years, starting with the original yellow gold model of 1994. Also on show will be the 10-piece Lange 1 “25th Anniversary” series, as well as less common models like the Lange 1 “Luminous”, which is not part of the now-famous Lumen series and instead was originally conceived as a sporty Lange watch. Present daily at the exhibition will be an artisan from Lange’s engraving department, which is responsible for the hand-engraved balance cocks found in all Lange movements. Armed with a fine-tipped burin, the artisan will demonstrate the art of engraving, just as it is done at the manufacture in Glashütte. Finally, the exhibition will also debut video interviews of Lange owne...
Time+Tide
Wolf CEO Simon Philip Wolf V shares his personal watch collection
Andrew paid a visit to the Wolf manufacture, where he met up with CEO Simon Wolf to discover some hidden treasures.The post Wolf CEO Simon Philip Wolf V shares his personal watch collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
Frederique Constant Classic Date & Moonphase Review
Frederique Constant takes a consistent, evolutionary approach to the design language used in its Classic collection. Sometimes those evolutionary leaps are larger than others. This is certainly the case with two additions to the collection released earlier this year: the Manufacture Classic Date, and Classic Moonphase Date, which have undergone a series of both small and large changes that represent a marked maturity for the brand. The new watches will find themselves squarely in front of a new audience as a result, and bring a welcome set of options in the often neglected formal genre at a sub-$5,000 price point. In hand and on wrist, these watches bring a surprising level of sophistication thanks to a keen attention to detail. If this isn’t a brand you’ve taken seriously in the past, it might be time for a second look. In an era dominated by sports watches and so-called GADA watches, it’s easy to forget just how essential a dedicated clean, classical, formal watch can be. They are easy watches to overlook, as their beauty lies in the small details rather than big, eye -catching flourishes, but with a little patience, these watches can be just as compelling as anything else out there. If the brand respects the process, that is. With minimal complications, scales, and bezels to work with, the design and execution of the few details that are present are paramount to evoking the necessary emotions. There is nothing to hide behind here. The odd shape or finish of an h...